Pholarization-Locked Temporal Vector Solitions in a Fiber Laser Experiment

Published

October 16, 2008

Author(s)

B C. Collings, S T. Cundiff, N N. Akhmediev, J M. Soto-Crespo, K Bergman, W H. Knox

Abstract

We experimentally observe polarization-locked vector solitons in a passively modelocked fiber laser. The vector soliton pulse is composed of components along both principal polarization axes of the linearly birfrinent alser cavity. For certain values of birefringence and pulse energy, these components propagate with a constant relative optical phase of π/2 and, hence, the pulse has a fixed elliptical polarization state. The linear birefringence of the cavity is cancelled by the nonlinear birefringence created by the unequal amplitudes of the two polarization components. This dynamic equalization of the phase velocities of the components results in the stable propagation of an elliptically polarized vector soliton pulse. Under different conditions, we also observe the nonlinear instability of the fast principal axis as an intracavity pulse linearly polarized along the slow axis of the cavity. We present the experimental characterization of both the polarization-locked vector solition and fast axis instability and discuss the nonlinear mechanims creating both phenomena. pulse is composed of components along both princips

Citation

Journal of the Optical Society of America B-Optical Physics

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

birefringence, fiber laser, intracavity pulse, soliton phase, vector

Citation

Collings, B. , Cundiff, S. , Akhmediev, N. , Soto-Crespo, J. , Bergman, K. and Knox, W. (2008), Pholarization-Locked Temporal Vector Solitions in a Fiber Laser Experiment, Journal of the Optical Society of America B-Optical Physics (Accessed July 27, 2024)